Mexican community sets down roots in Big Sky"I love Montana," Espinoza said, wearing a straw hat, jeans and boots.
"It fascinates me," he said of the state, where he and several male relatives have lived and worked together for three years.

Building the Entrepreneurial Advisory Board - Friends and AdvisorsBuilding an advisory board is not a terribly difficult process, but it does carry a tremendous benefit when done with thought and clear structure. As a businessman inclined to seek advice – my employees have chided me for going up to every bum on the street for an opinion – I believe that doing so provides marinade for the brain. The more points of view you have, the more your own thoughts mature.

A nimble approach to innovation''Don't just give them the stuff you think they need," Austin proposed. ''Give them extra information and see what they do with it."

Check out 7 possible signs of entrepreneurial success"You don't have to fit all seven of these categories to be a good candidate for entrepreneurship," Anthony wrote. "But in general, the more you have in common with these characteristics, the closer you probably are to being ready to try going out on your own."

Website promotes region to businesses"The inclusiveness is important," said Eliza Leadbeater, the BCEDC's executive director, "so that both the breadth and depth of our resources and amenities are recognized. Promotion of the site will focus on cross linkages with other community and state websites."

Planting the seeds - The SBIR Program in WyomingSince the inception of the Small Business Innovation Research program in 1982, Wyoming companies have received over $27 million in federal grants and contracts, Watson said. Eleven federal agencies help fund the program.

Incubators and R&D

Idaho State University creates Research Institute to focus its biomedical efforts"In a nutshell, we've created the Institute to completely revamp and restructure how biomedical research is conducted on campus," Daniels said. "Currently, we have biomedical research infrastructure, resources and personnel spread all over campus. It has become clear that we absolutely need to do this so we do not duplicate resources on campus."

Incubators Help Startup Companies Get Off the GroundThere are about 1,000 business incubators in North America, according to the National Business Incubation Association. The incubation model has been adapted to meet a variety of needs, from fostering commercialization of university technologies to increasing employment in economically distressed communities to serving as an investment vehicle.

When Pigs Wi-Fi - Is your community keeping up with Hermiston, Oregon?Hermiston is actually a global leader of our Internet future. Today, this chunk of arid farm country appears to be the largest Wi-Fi hot spot in the world, with wireless high-speed Internet access available free for some 600 square miles. Most of that is in eastern Oregon, with some just across the border in southern Washington. 'If they can do it out in the boondocks with a small population, that model can be applied to highly complex areas,' " he said.